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TLC: Tables, Ladders
TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs (2018) was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event and WWE Network event, produced by WWE for the Raw and SmackDown brand. It took place on December 16, 2018 at the SAP Center in San Jose, California. It was the tenth event under the TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs chronology. Twelve matches were contested at the event, including two on the pre-show. In the main event, Asuka defeated Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair in the first women's triple threat Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match to capture her first SmackDown Women's Championship, which was also the first time the title was contested in the main event match of a pay-per-view. On the undercard, Dean Ambrose defeated Seth Rollins to win his third Intercontinental Championship, Daniel Bryan defeated AJ Styles to retain the WWE Championship and Braun Strowman defeated Acting Raw General Manager Baron Corbin in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match to earn a Universal Championship match against Brock Lesnar at the Royal Rumble and stripping Corbin of all authoritative power. Background TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs will feature professional wrestling matches involving different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds, plots, and storylines that play out on WWE's primary television programs, Raw and SmackDown. Wrestlers portrayed heroes or villains as they follow a series of events that build tension and culminate in a wrestling match or series of matches. On September 4, 2018, in a press release for season 2 of Mixed Match Challenge, it was announced that the finals of the tournament would occur at TLC. On November 12, it was announced that the winning team would receive the number 30 spot for both the men's and women's Royal Rumble matches at the Royal Rumble. On the October 22 episode of Raw, after Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose captured the Raw Tag Team Championship from Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre, Ambrose suddenly attacked Rollins, turning heel. Two weeks later on Raw, Ambrose proceeded to attack Rollins again, after the latter lost the titles in a handicap match against AOP (Akam and Rezar). The following week, Ambrose set his signature Shield gear ablaze, after explaining his attack on Rollins, stating that he was a "burden" to both of his former Shield teammates and they made him weak. After Rollins defeated SmackDown's United States Champion Shinsuke Nakamura at Survivor Series, it was announced that Rollins would defend the Intercontinental Championship against Ambrose at TLC. On the Raw prior to Survivor Series, Braun Strowman demanded to have another Universal Championship match against Brock Lesnar as well as a match against Acting Raw General Manager Baron Corbin, who had cost Strowman his Universal title match at Crown Jewel, and get to choose the stipulation for both. Raw Commissioner Stephanie McMahon agreed under the condition that Strowman lead Raw to another victory over SmackDown at Survivor Series, and that he would not touch Corbin until after the event. At Survivor Series, Stephanie declared that if Raw defeated SmackDown in all six interpromotional matches on the main card, she would consider making Corbin the permanent Raw General Manager. Strowman also kept to his word, leading Raw's men's team to victory over SmackDown's and he did not lay a hand on Corbin, while Raw also won the other five matches. The following night on Raw, Strowman was granted a match with Corbin at TLC and chose a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match. Stephanie added the stipulation that if Strowman won, he would get his Universal Championship match at the Royal Rumble and Corbin would be removed from his authoritative position, but if Corbin won, Corbin would become the permanent Raw General Manager. A six-man tag team elimination match then occurred pitting Strowman, Elias, and Finn Bálor against Corbin, Bobby Lashley, and Drew McIntyre. The match came down to Strowman and Corbin, but ended after Corbin, Lashley, and McIntyre crushed Strowman's elbow with the steel steps. It was later reported that Strowman would require surgery on his elbow, leaving uncertainty if Strowman would recover in time for their TLC match. At Evolution, Nia Jax won a 20-woman battle royal to earn an opportunity at the Raw Women's Championship. Then at Survivor Series, she won the women's elimination match for Team Raw as the lone survivor, while Raw Women's Champion Ronda Rousey defeated SmackDown's Charlotte Flair via disqualification, though suffered a post-match beat down from Flair. The following night on Raw, Jax's championship match against Rousey was confirmed for TLC. Furious from the night before, Rousey issued an open challenge that was accepted by Mickie James. Rousey retained, and after the match, Jax, along with Tamina, came out and taunted Rousey. On the November 13 episode of SmackDown, Daniel Bryan defeated AJ Styles to win the WWE Championshipafter hitting Styles with a low blow while the referee was down and continued to attack Styles after the match, thus turning heel. Bryan in turn replaced Styles as Universal Champion Brock Lesnar's opponent at Survivor Series, where Bryan came up short. On the following SmackDown, Bryan explained his actions, stating that he was following his dreams and that the fans were not with him during his recovery to return to the ring. He then christened himself as the "new" Daniel Bryan, and a rematch between Styles and Bryan for the title was scheduled for TLC. At Survivor Series, SmackDown Women's Champion Becky Lynch was originally scheduled to face Raw Women's Champion Ronda Rousey, but due to a legit broken nose and concussion sustained just days prior to the event, Lynch was replaced by SmackDown's Charlotte Flair, who brutally attacked Rousey and lost via disqualification. On the following SmackDown, Flair explained that she attacked Rousey for Lynch and for the women of SmackDown. The following week, Lynch returned. Flair took back her statement, stating that she did the attack all for herself. SmackDown General Manager Paige then scheduled Lynch to defend the title against Flair at TLC in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match. The remaining eight women of the SmackDown roster took exception, feeling they deserved a chance too and could have beat up Rousey as Flair did. Paige then scheduled an eight-woman battle royal with the winner being added to the title match. Asuka won, making it a triple threat TLC match. At Survivor Series, Drew McIntyre and Finn Bálor came to odds when tagging in to the men's elimination match, resulting in a confrontation between the two. Bálor also made an enemy of Acting Raw General Manager Baron Corbin, who scheduled Bálor to face McIntyre at TLC. For several weeks, Elias and Bobby Lashley interrupted each other's promos, often ending in a brawl between the two, also involving Lashley's "manager Lio Rush. On November 30, a match between Elias and Lashley was scheduled for TLC. On the SmackDown 1000 episode on October 16, The Bar (Cesaro and Sheamus) defeated The New Day(represented by Big E and Xavier Woods) to win the SmackDown Tag Team Championship, with help from their new ally Big Show. On the November 6 episode of SmackDown, The Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso) defeated The New Day (represented by Big E and Kofi Kingston) to become the captains of Team SmackDown at Survivor Series. On the November 27 episode of SmackDown, The Usos defeated The Bar. On November 30, a triple threat tag team match between the three teams was scheduled for TLC. On the December 3 episode of Raw, The Riott Squad (Ruby Riott, Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan) came out and distracted Ronda Rousey and Natalya, after which Nia Jax and Tamina attacked Rousey and Natalya. The Riott Squad then set up a table and powerbombed Natalya off the ring apron through the table. On December 6, a tables match between Natalya and Riott was scheduled for TLC. At Super Show-Down, Buddy Murphy defeated Cedric Alexander to win the Cruiserweight Championship. On December 10, a rematch between the two for the title was scheduled for TLC. Aftermath Raw The McMahon Family (Vince McMahon, Stephanie McMahon, Shane McMahon, and Triple H) opened the following night's Raw, stating they would now be running both Raw and SmackDown as a unit with no general managers. Baron Corbin confronted the McMahons to have another chance to become the Raw General Manager. Triple H said that if he could defeat Kurt Angle with guest referee Heath Slater, then he could become the Raw General Manager. Mid-match, however, Triple H added Bobby Roode, Chad Gable, and Apollo Crews to make it a 4-on-1 handicap match that Corbin lost, definitively ruling him out of the position. New Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose said he took the title from Seth Rollins, but would not stop there. He called out Rollins, who didn't show up, and then issued an open challenge for the title, which was answered by Tyler Breeze. After defeating Breeze, Ambrose was attacked by a member of Ambrose's SWAT team, who revealed himself as Rollins. Raw Women's Champion Ronda Rousey said she delivered what she promised in regard to her actions at TLC against Nia Jax, Charlotte Flair, and Becky Lynch. Rousey then issued an open challenge. All the women wanted a shot, so Stephanie McMahon scheduled an eight-woman gauntlet match to determine Rousey's challenger for the following week, which was won by Natalya. Natalya, however, lost her championship match to Rousey. After a backstage confrontation between Finn Bálor and Dolph Ziggler at TLC, a match between the two on the following night's Raw ended in a no-contest after Drew McIntyre interfered and attacked both men. A triple threat match between the three was won by Bálor the following week. Bobby Lashley and Elias had a rematch on the December 24 episode of Raw in a Miracle on 34th Street Match, which was won by Elias. SmackDown Becky Lynch addressed her loss, stating she wanted to face Ronda Rousey for costing her the SmackDown Women's Championship. Charlotte Flair interrupted, saying that Becky needed to stand in line and if it was not for Ronda Rousey, she would be an eight-time women's champion. As The McMahon Family decreed that champions would no longer have automatic rematch clauses, Lynch was ruled out of a guaranteed rematch and new SmackDown Women's Champion Asuka successfully defended the title against Naomi in an impromptu match. The following week, Lynch defeated Flair and Carmella in a triple threat match to earn a match against Asuka for the title at the Royal Rumble. WWE Champion Daniel Bryan said he destroyed AJ Styles at TLC along with the Yes Movement. In a subsequent tag team match pitting Bryan and Andrade "Cien" Almas (whose ring name was later shortened to Andrade) against Styles and Mustafa Ali (who moved over from 205 Live), Bryan was pinned by Ali. The following week, Styles earned another title opportunity against Bryan at the Royal Rumble by winning a fatal five-way match. 205 Live On the December 26 episode of 205 Live, General Manager Drake Maverick scheduled Buddy Murphy to defend the WWE Cruiserweight Championship at the Royal Rumble in a fatal four-way match with his opponents to be decided in qualifying matches. Results Cruiserweight results Raw/SmackDown results Other on-screen personnel See also *List of WWE pay-per-view events *TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs Category:TLC PPV Category:World Wrestling Entertainment pay-per-view events Category:2018 Pay-Per-View Events